NTPC builds Rs 2.25 trillion war chest

January 19, 2010 14:52 IST

India's largest power company NTPC plans to invest a massive Rs 2,25,000 crore (Rs 2.25 trillion) in the next seven years in capacity expansion to become a 75,000-MW entity, company's chairman and managing director R S Sharma said on Tuesday.

NTPC, which has a production capacity of a little over 30,000 MW annually, constitutes 19 per cent of the country's total installed capacity of 1,55,000 MW.

For the additional capacity generation, NTPC is planning about 9,000 MW through hydroelectric sources, 2,000 MW through nuclear and 1,000 MW through renewable energy resources by 2017. This would make NTPC one of most diversified companies in the country in terms of fuel usage.

Asked about the source of funding, Sharma said all projects would be funded in debt-equity ratio of 70:30.

For the equity portion the PSU has comfortable cash flows.

"If

required we may tap the domestic as well global debt market," Sharma told PTI.

To increase its capacity, the company has prepared a multi-pronged

strategy which envisages additional power generation through green field projects, brown field expansions, joint ventures and acquisitions.

NTPC will hit the capital market with its follow-on public offer on February 3 to raise up to Rs 11,000 crore (Rs 110 billion)

as part of the government's disinvestment plan in leading PSU companies.

The government is offloading five per cent of its stake in NTPC through a follow-on public offer of 412,273,220 equity shares of Rs 10

at prices to be determined through an alternative book building process.